“We don’t have a lot of races on the Democratic side, so I was out working the polls for him,” said Turner. “I was out there holding a sign, talking to people. The response was pretty good.”

The main issue on the ballot in Lakewood is whether to dissolve as a city. With no contested state Senate or House races on the Democratic side, most voters were opting to vote for governor in the Republican primary, Turner said. But he said a lot of voters were telling him they’d crossed over to vote for Smith, the Democratic nominee.

Turner said voting was steady but no backups had formed while he was there. He also said he’d heard no complaints about voting this moring.

“Nobody’s called me,” he said. “Nobody’s complained to me about anything.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/mike-turner-campaigns-for-david-smith/feed/0Anti-Crafton campaign continueshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/anti-crafton-campaign-continues/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/anti-crafton-campaign-continues/#commentsWed, 04 Aug 2010 16:43:45 +0000Nate Rauhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=11215Nashville progressives have not forgiven Eric Crafton for last year’s English-only campaign. In the days before Crafton’s match-up against David Smith for Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk, two email blasts have surfaced aimed at keeping the Bellevue Republican out of office.

The first message came from Nashville For All of Us, the group that led the English-only opposition. While not mentioning Crafton by name, the group’s message is loud and clear:

If you have already cast your vote, congratulations! If you haven’t yet voted then this Thursday is Your Day and one that is meant for Nashville for All of Us. There are clearly some candidates that are unsympathetic to our voices and we have the opportunity to cast a vote against regressive public policies. Let’s all do our part in building ” A Productive, Just and Welcoming Nashville for All of Us”!

That missive followed an email yesterday from David Briley, who touted that Smith “will not use the job to grandstand for his next political race.” Earlier in the campaign, at-large Councilman Ronnie Steine worried that Crafton would use the juvenile court clerk office for conservative “activist” purposes instead of its primary purpose, which is record keeping.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/anti-crafton-campaign-continues/feed/0David Briley works to get out the vote for David Smithhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-briley-works-to-get-out-the-vote-for-david-smith/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-briley-works-to-get-out-the-vote-for-david-smith/#commentsTue, 03 Aug 2010 12:51:53 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=11158Former Metro councilman, mayoral candidate and May Town Center antagonist David Briley just sent out an email blast urging friends to vote for David Smith in Thursday’s election for Davidson County Juvenile Court clerk. Smith, a General Sessions Court officer, is the Democrat in the race against Republican Eric Crafton, a councilman Briley has clashed with over Crafton’s controversial English-only proposal – and whom he criticizes here without using his name:

Most importantly to me, I know that David will not use the job to grandstand for his next political race, that he knows what it means to be a public servant and that he will work hard every day for the taxpayers.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-briley-works-to-get-out-the-vote-for-david-smith/feed/5Friends in high places (and aiming higher)http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/friends-in-high-places-and-aiming-higher/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/friends-in-high-places-and-aiming-higher/#commentsThu, 29 Jul 2010 16:26:39 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=11117An ad for Davidson County Juvenile Court clerk hopeful Eric Crafton in the West Meade News shows the Metro councilman with the three Republican candidates for governor. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey stands to Crafton’s right, while U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam are on his left, all smiling. (The photo also is on Crafton’s web site.)

“No matter who your choice for governor is on August 5th, don’t forget to vote for our good friend Eric Crafton for Nashville’s next Juvenile Court Clerk!” the ad reads before going into a list of Crafton’s qualifications.

Crafton said the picture was taken at a National Rifle Association banquet in Nashville. He’s the Republican facing Democrat David Smith (which also happens to be the name of Haslam’s campaign press secretary) in next week’s Metro general election. Early voting ends Saturday.

Joan Nixon, chief deputy of the Davidson County Election Commission, said Lineweaver’s total receipts for April 1-24 were $49,744. Lineweaver, who recently started airing a TV ad, spent $55,305 during the period and finished with a balance of $11,973, Nixon said.

The personal loan indicates Lineweaver is serious about withstanding a challenge from David Smith, a General Sessions Court officer who had raised much more money than Lineweaver and the other candidates before this month. Smith raised $7,591 from April 1-24, spent $12,928 and finished with $74,027 in his account.

Smith put $50,000 of his own money into his campaign during the previous reporting period, which ran from Jan. 16 to March 31. He also recently started airing TV ads.

Early voting continued today and ends Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Davidson County Election Commission, 800 Second Ave. South. The primary will be held next Tuesday, May 4, at precincts throughout the county.

Just 1,420 people had cast ballots by 2:30 p.m. Early voting started on April 14.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/lineweaver-pumps-49000-into-own-campaign/feed/5David Smith goes on TV with campaign adshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-smith-goes-on-tv-with-campaign-ads/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-smith-goes-on-tv-with-campaign-ads/#commentsFri, 23 Apr 2010 15:20:58 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=10274With less than two weeks left before the election, Davidson County Juvenile Court clerk candidate David Smith is up on the air with several 15-second TV spots. You can see four versions here, here, here and here.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/david-smith-goes-on-tv-with-campaign-ads/feed/10Another candidate throws hat in the ring for Juvenile Court clerkhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/another-candidate-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-juvenile-court-clerk/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/another-candidate-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-juvenile-court-clerk/#commentsMon, 21 Sep 2009 20:34:38 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=6924Jeff Brousal, a cancer research scientist who has been in the Davidson County court system as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, announced today that he’s running for Juvenile Court clerk. He faces a crowd of better-known, better-funded candidates, including the current clerk, Vic Lineweaver; school board member Karen Johnson; Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite; and court officer David Smith.

Here’s Brousal’s press release:

Jeff Brousal announces his candidacy for Juvenile Court Clerk in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Jeff Brousal, A CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Volunteer, is running for office. He has had experience with the court. He knows the judges. He has provided services to the constituents. He can do this job.

Pro Se petitions to establish parentage
Petitions to set child support
Petitions to modify child support
Contempt of Court petitions
Petitions to set visitation
Petitions to alter, modify or enforce visitation
Motions
Appeals
Juvenile record checks for law enforcement personnel
Payments accepted for child support

He has been a cancer research scientist for 25 years. This experience with data handling and presentation makes him uniquely qualified to handle the paperwork required. He has been involved with many court proceedings in his own child custody case. He has had a grass roots campaign under way since July 2008. He will run the campaign himself and does not plan to ask for campaign funds. This campaign will be run on the value of the candidate to accomplish the clerk’s job.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/another-candidate-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-juvenile-court-clerk/feed/1Smaller numbers, same goal – getting elected – for Metro candidateshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/smaller-numbers-same-goal-get-elected-for-metro-candidates/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/smaller-numbers-same-goal-get-elected-for-metro-candidates/#commentsThu, 16 Jul 2009 14:50:28 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=5565The numbers don’t have nearly as many digits as those drummed up by the gubernatorial candidates, but contenders for some local offices also had to turn in their fund-raising reports by the close of business Wednesday.

In the Davidson County Juvenile Court clerk’s race, David Smith leads with $25,074 on hand after raising $28,483 in the reporting period that ended June 30. Smith works for General Sessions Court Judge Casey Moreland and is also a licensed real estate agent.

Other candidates include Metro school board member Karen Johnson, who raised $3,990 and had $2,802 on hand at the end of the month; Metro Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite, who raised $1,460 and had $1,160 in her account, and incumbent Vic Lineweaver, the clerk since 2002, who raised nothing, said Joan Nixon, chief election deputy at the Davidson County Election Commission.

In the Criminal Court clerk race, incumbent David Torrence raised $21,350, including $13,108 carried over from his 2006 race, and had $18,694 on hand, Nixon said. Metro Councilman Michael Craddock raised $2,000 and didn’t spend any of it.